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Wonder: book review (B1)

Wonder is a book about an ordinary boy called Auggie who looks very different from most boys his age.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first and then read the article. If you find it too easy, try the next level. If it's too difficult, try the lower level. After reading, do the exercises to check your understanding.

Preparation

What’s wonder about.

Wonder tells the story of August, a ten-year old boy who lives with his parents and sister in New York. August, or Auggie as his family call him, is an ordinary boy in many ways. He rides a bike and likes playing with his Xbox. But Auggie was born with deformities of the face and looks very different from other kids. At the start of the book, he tells us 'My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.' Auggie’s appearance shocks people. People look at him for a long time or sometimes they look away as soon as they see him.

Auggie’s had 27 operations on his face and has spent a lot of time in hospital. His mother has taught him at home, but now that he’s ten, she thinks he should go to school. At first, Auggie hates the idea of school and doesn’t want to go. He worries that other kids will look at him strangely or call him horrible names, but his parents persuade him to visit a school and meet the headteacher. After the visit, Auggie decides that, yes, he will go to school.

Like many kids, Auggie is really anxious on the first day. Because of his face, nobody wants to sit next to him and he notices other kids looking and talking about him behind their hands. Fortunately, he makes friends with Jack, a boy in his class, and Summer, a girl he chats with at lunch. But after surviving the first day, Auggie soon learns that his classmates are saying they will catch 'the plague' if they touch him. Wonder tells the story of Auggie’s first year at school and how other kids treat him. It’s a difficult year with good and bad times. But towards the end, a frightening and dramatic event at a school camp changes things completely.

Is it a good book?

Wonder is an excellent book that tells a moving and inspiring story. It’s fast-moving and gripping too. I found myself reading it on the bus even if I only had time to read a couple of pages. It appeals to all age groups and is very popular with teenagers and adults. Auggie is a very likeable central character. He’s got a good sense of humour, so the book is both funny and sad at times. It’s a fascinating story about a regular kid who’s living in a world that’s not used to people who look different.

One great thing about the book is that it’s told from the point of view of different characters. We begin with Auggie, but then the story is told by his sister, Via, and his schoolmates till we come back to Auggie at the end. This works really well as we find out what it’s like for Via to have a younger brother who takes a lot of her parents’ attention. We also learn how Jack is left out of the 'popular group' at school, just because he is Auggie’s friend.

A bestseller

Wonder is RJ Palacio’s first novel. On her website, she explains that the idea for the book came to her after seeing a girl with facial deformities on the street one day. Wonder has been a bestseller in the United States and has won several awards. Many schools are using it to start discussions about bullying, friendship and being different. A film version is being made, and many, including me, are looking forward to seeing what RJ Palacio writes next.

Robin Newton

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February 21, 2012 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

February 21, 2012 by Betsy Bird 11 comments

CLICK IMAGES TO SEE LARGER VERSION (WHEN AVAILABLE)

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Notes on the Cover: Travis Jonker recently pointed out that there’s a real plethora of baby blue, black and white covers out there right now, this one included. I have to say, it’s not a cover I’d instantly gravitate towards, but it intrigued me. It’s a very adult cover, now that I look at it. The kind of thing you’d see on a novel for hipster twenty-nine-year-olds. I like how the artist (a Tad Carpenter, by the look of it) chose to imply a face without going into detail. One quibble, the ears are utterly wrong. You could make an argument for the eye, but the ears shouldn’t be that large, or prominent, or even ear-shaped. Other than that, I’d say it’s a clever solution to a book jacket problem. My wager, if I were a betting woman, would be to say that they’ll keep this cover for the paperback edition.

Turns out there is indeed a book trailer for it. Voila!

And here the author reads a chapter:

Filed under: Best Books of 2012 , Reviews

About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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Reader Interactions

February 21, 2012 at 5:07 pm

I am really looking forward to reading Wonder. I’ve read a lot of buzz about it on Goodreads, print reviews, and in Entertainment Weekly. Thank you for your informative review! Was this first published in the UK?

February 21, 2012 at 7:08 pm

That’s what I’ve been trying to determine. I think it may have a simultaneous release here and in the UK, which is fairly rare in and of itself.

February 22, 2012 at 2:58 am

I am in the process of reading WONDER at the moment and I am mesmerized in a similar way I was with OUT OF MY MIND two years ago. I am glad to see writers address the disabilities of children in such a engrossing way.

July 26, 2012 at 3:39 am

I just finished reading Wonder and I loved it, but I was put off by some of the text on the duct jacket. The front flap prominently describes it as an “uplifting novel full of wonderfully realistic family interactions, lively school scenes and writing that shines with spare emotional power.” As a person with a physical disability, I start worrying that this will be another sappy “poor disabled kid” book when I read stuff like that. As a K-5 school librarian, I picture kids reading that and saying “ugh – no” Maybe I’m not giving the students enough credit though. I’m planning the buy this book, and I hope that it finds the readership it deserves. I just worry that it will be a hard sell.

July 26, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Well, I understand your concern. But at this moment in time 119 copies are checked out of the NYPL system. Kids are finding it one way or another, I’m happy to report.

August 8, 2013 at 5:00 pm

Really amazing book. Get a box of tissues before reading. This book makes you feel like you are the person telling the story. When does it take place? Does anybody know?

[…] […]

[…] should start with The Mysterious Benedict Society. Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It was just as good as everyone else says it is. A definite Newbery contender. Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway. Laugh With […]

[…] Review at A Fuse #8 Production […]

[…] Book Committee Awards. Palacio won the Josette Frank Award for Fiction for her novel Wonder (Knopf, 2012), while Singer was on hand to accept the 2013 Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry on behalf […]

[…] https://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/02/21/review-of-the-day-wonder-by-r-j-palacio/ […]

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Reading Ladies

Wonder [book review].

October 27, 2017

***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Heart, Heroes, and Humor…

You were probably an ordinary kid.

Did you ever experience a terrifying first day in a new school?

Consider Auggie. He feels ordinary inside but no one else sees him as ordinary. As he expresses:

“Kids don’t scream and run away if you’re ordinary….they don’t stare.”

This is the advice 10-year-old August Pullman receives from his parents on the first day of school:

“There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie,” she said, looking at me. “But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other.”

Because the movie Wonde r releases in theaters on November 17, 2017, it seems timely to read or reread and review.

Movie Trailer here.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Genre/categories: Middle grade through adult contemporary fiction, growing up, difficult discussions, family life, friendship, compassion, character traits

On the inside, ten-year-old August Pullman feels very ordinary. But as he says, ordinary kids don’t make other kids run away screaming and they don’t get stared at wherever they go. Auggie was born with a rare genetic abnormality that affected the formation of his face. Because of extensive surgeries and an attempt to protect him from cruelties of the outside world, Auggie’s parents have homeschooled him. The reader meets 5th grade Auggie as he’s being enrolled in a traditional school for the first time. Will he be accepted? Will he find friends? Will he find a hostile or friendly environment? How will adults in his life support him? The story is told from six perspectives (August, Via–his older sister, Summer–a friendly caring peer, Jack–a student leader who struggles in his role as a friend, Miranda–his sister’s best friend and a close family friend, and Justin–Miranda’s boyfriend) plus a bonus chapter from Julian’s point of view (Auggie’s nemesis).

Amazon (October) Rating: (an amazing) 4.9 Stars

My Thoughts:

If you plan to see the movie, don’t miss out on reading the book first! It’s an easy, engaging, thoughtful, inspirational, and meaningful read with valuable discussion possibilities for the entire family. Wonder on DVD .

As we venture to school with Auggie, we feel his daily apprehension and celebrate his courage and determination. Even though he thinks of himself on the inside as an ordinary kid, we know he doesn’t look ordinary and his severe facial abnormality could cause him to be the object of unkind actions by his peers and to experience bullying.

Throughout Wonder , the narrative changes perspectives with each chapter. This helps us get a 360 degree understanding of Auggie’s world and also allows us to see the nice circle of people who care for him and support him. In addition, it allows the reader to understand that everyone battles something. Because this is written for a children’s audience, it does have a happy ending where ‘good” people are rewarded and the “bad” get their punishment. I like that there is an epilogue (extra chapter) in the current version of the book that follows Auggie’s nemesis Julian and we see how Julian changes and grows in empathy and compassion

Wonder takes a dramatic turn when Auggie overhears his friend Jack’s derogatory remarks about him; he is discouraged and devastated, and everything changes as he has to fight to rebuild what he’s lost. Through these authentic middle-grade voices, we learn about true friendship, risk, and the importance of kindness.

I especially admire Auggies’s English teacher who each month presents the idea of precepts to live by and encourages students to write their own…an example of a precept he presents is “When given the choice between being right or kind, choose kind.” In an attempt to establish the habit of writing precepts as a lifelong practice, he encourages students to email their precepts to him in the years after graduation. Auggie’s 5th-grade precept is “Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation once in their lives because we all overcometh the world.”

The following is a sampling of the types of quotes you will find from the adults in the story:

“Kinder than necessary,” he repeated. “What a marvelous line, isn’t it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it’s not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. Why I love that line, that concept is that it reminds me that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness. And what does that mean? How is that measured? You can’t use a yardstick. It’s like I was saying just before: it’s not like measuring how much you’ve grown in a year. It’s not exactly quantifiable, is it? How do we know we’ve been kind? What is being kind, anyway?” “….If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary–the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.” “It’s not just the nature of kindness, but the nature of one’s kindness. The power of one’s friendship. The test of one’s character. The strength of one’s courage–”

Don’t miss out on this inspirational story filled with heart, heroes, and humor and which inspired the Kindness Movement . I expect that Wonder will become a beloved classic in upper-grade classrooms and in family libraries. Highly recommended for every reader who believes in the power of teaching through a story and for every family who is in the process of building empathy, compassion, and kindness. Wonder would make a great parent/child buddy read. I believe good literature and timeless themes can be enjoyed by all ages!

“Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, propel us, on occasion, to greatness.”

My rating: 4.5 stars (rounded to 5)

Wonder Information Here.

There is an additional book, Auggie & Me . It’s not a sequel, rather a companion read and an extension of Auggie’s world with three additional points of view.

More Information about Auggie & Me Here.

The Kindness Movement and Sign the Pledge Here.

The author interviews kids about kindness here.

Wonder Movie Trailer here.

Wonder on DVD .

Meet the Author, R. J. Palacio

R. J. Palacio was born and raised in New York City. She attended the High School of Art and Design and the Parsons School of Design, where she majored in illustration with the hopes of someday following in the footsteps of her favorite childhood author-illustrators, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Maurice Sendak, and the D’Aulaires. She was a graphic designer and art director for many years before writing Wonder. We’re All Wonders, which is based conceptually on the themes of her novel, represents the fulfillment of her dream to write and illustrate her own picture book. R.J. is also the author of Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories and 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts. She lives in Brooklyn, where she is surrounded by magical water towers, with her husband, their two sons, and their two dogs, Bear and Beau. Learn more about her at rjpalacio.com or on Twitter at @RJPalacio.

I’m curious if you’ve read Wonder !

Do you have children that have read it? I’d love to hear your (or their) reflection.

Do you plan to see the movie ?

How do you feel about teaching character traits such as empathy and kindness through literature?

What are you reading this week?

Happy Reading Bookworms!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.” ~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.” ~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.” ~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

In my last post, I indicated that I would read and review If the Creek Don’t Rise . I did read it; however, I decided that Wonder would be the primary focus of my review this week so that I can encourage you to read it before the movie releases. Here’s my brief review of If the Creek Don’t Rise .

If The Creek Don’t Rise by Leah Weiss

Genre/categories: Historical Fiction, Small Town, Rural, Appalachia, Hillbilly Culture

Young Sadie Blue lives in the North Carolina mountain town of Baines Creek and suffers abuse at the hands of her drunken husband, Roy Tupkin. When a new teacher comes to town, Sadie begins to think of finding her voice and of a life that doesn’t include Roy.

Amazon Rating: 4.5 Stars

Harsh and hard realities of life in this remote Appalachian community make If the Creek Don’t Rise a gritty and sobering read. Young Sadie Blue is pregnant, abused, mistreated, and struggling to find her voice. Only a few chapters are from Sadie’s POV. The story is told from multiple viewpoints giving readers a good perspective of her life and the hillbilly community. Some characters offer hope and healing while others are despicable. Sadie does find her voice in a way that surprised me (but maybe it shouldn’t have given her situation and the hillbilly culture). As a teacher, I hoped to learn more about the new teacher’s contribution to the youth of the community….I’m always looking for hope and redemption in a story….but after the teacher’s strong introduction, she fades into the background of the story. This is also disappointing because she is important to Sadie. Overall, I enjoyed the read and the excellent writing; however, it’s not a read that everyone would enjoy. It’s gritty and a bit dark but certainly an impressive debut novel. I would encourage you to read additional reviews.

My Rating: 4 Stars

If the Creek Don’t Rise Information Here.

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